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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24178108">Let's be Monsters</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pgirl/pseuds/Pgirl'>Pgirl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>XCOM (Video Games) &amp; Related Fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:01:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,111</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24178108</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pgirl/pseuds/Pgirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zhang's Psionics made him powerful, but it also made him... different. How does he cope?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Zhang/Geist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Let's be Monsters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Why was he here?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was what went through Zhang’s mind as he sat in a chair opposite the Commander. He was called in, which usually happened when you did something terribly wrong. Which didn’t seem to be the case. At least not to his knowledge. Right now, the two of them were just looking at each other silently, waiting for the other to speak.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Are you going to tell me what this is about?” Zhang asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s about your last Mission…” The Commander started, Zhang just raised an eyebrow.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“It was standard procedure. We went in, took out the hostiles and returned. I don’t see…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be blunt with you; what the Hell was that?” The Commander told him. Zhang just crossed his arms and looked away. “The way you took out that Sectopod…”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“It was a successful mission.” He said, almost defiantly. “Or should I have let the Alien wreak havoc on the rest of my Unit? It was a danger to everyone around me… I couldn’t get through to it with my normal commands, so I decided to just shut off his brain.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Which apparently worked, it dropped dead immediately.” The Commander said.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Precisely. So what’s the issue?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This was already questionable on multiple accounts but if your Unit is to be believed… you laughed at the end of it.” A deep sigh. “You almost never laugh or even smile but this had you almost double over.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“So I have a dark sense of humor. Comes with having been both a soldier and a member of the Triads. It’s really more of a survival mechanic than anything else.” Zhang looked at her intently with harsh purple eyes. “I still don’t see the issue.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“People are getting afraid of you. Hell, Suzuki just straight up asked Vahlen for a modification so you won’t get in her head.” The Commander sighed. “Not a Sectoid. Not an Ethereal. One of our own…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And that’s my fault?!” Zhang said, getting up so fiercely that the chair he was sitting on fell down as he stepped forward and slammed his hands on the Commander’s desk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zhang… calm down…”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“You gave me these powers and now you’re SCARED of them?!” He shouted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zhang, I said calm. Down!” The Commander was getting frightened.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“YOU TURNED ME INTO THIS!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stand down, Zhang.” Came from behind, and he turned to see Central, aiming his gun at him. “I don’t want it to come to this.” Zhang simply looked at the gun, before he looked Central in the eyes. While his face was frozen, he could sense the fear radiating from him. He took his hands off the desk, by now noticing purple sparks were flying off them. As he calmed himself down with a few deep breaths, they dissipated and Central lowered his gun.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Permission to leave?” He asked, surprisingly calm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Permission granted.” The Commander said as Zhang marched out of the office.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Zhang spent the rest of the day in what could charitably be described as a foul mood. The Hell was the Commander thinking? Scolding him? For doing his fucking JOB?! He sighed as he made his way to the treadmills. If he didn’t get rid of this pent-up anger by running, he’d punch something or someone and that wouldn’t help his case. As he sprinted on the treadmill, he noticed people looking at him. Sometimes outright staring, and he could swear he heard them whisper.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can hear you, you know?” He told Suki, who was talking to another soldier. They both startled and got out of the room quickly. Zhang stopped running, leaning his arms against the console of the treadmill and let out a deep, weary sigh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When did it start?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t just after the mission. This was beforehand. After he was chosen as one of the first to be induced with Psionics? Hell, maybe as soon as he arrived. He always found himself… distant from the other XCom soldiers. How could he not? He was an underworld figure and even if the track records of some weren’t as clean as they would have liked, it was nothing compared to his. It left him feeling, ironically enough, alienated. And when he developed his Psionics this feeling only grew worse. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was different from them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stood apart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Did they even consider him part of their group? Hell, did they even consider him human anymore?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was he…?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked at his hands as some purple sparks flew from them. Maybe he wasn’t anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another sigh as he got off the treadmill and headed back to the Commander’s office. Maybe he did need to apologize for blowing up like that…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heard voices. There was already someone there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I understand… I’ll go talk to him immediately.” And with that, the door opened and Geist, another Psionic, walked out. “Speak of the Devil. Zhang, we were just talking about you.” He said. Zhang could feel anger rising. They were talking about him behind his back?</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“What were you talking about?” He asked, though he knew the answer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, since that outburst, the Commander has her concerns, and I was asked…” Zhang didn’t let him finish before he angrily turned around and left. “Wait!” Geist said, rushing after him and stopping him. “This is not what it sounds like. We’re just… we’re worried about you.” He tried.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t try to sugarcoat it. You’re going to put a leash on me if I go too far.” Zhang replied angrily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not it. I’m going through the same deal as you. Psionics alter a human mind and sometimes it creates… a certain darkness.” Geist started. Zhang just looked down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It didn’t ‘create’ anything.” He said softly. “This part of me has always been there.” He turned around. “I’ve always been a monster, Geist.” Zhang looked down at his hands as purple sparks started to fly from it. “They’ve just given me my fire.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Monster?” Geist asked, carefully approaching him. “You think you’re a monster?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“After the life I’ve lived… how could I not be?” Zhang answered, voice unusually soft and even somewhat fragile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess… that makes me a monster, too.” Geist said. He sounded… proud? “I’ve got an idea.” He said, taking Zhang’s shoulder and turning him, so they faced each other. He had a rather sly grin on his face. “Why not be monsters together?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m pretty sure that’s the opposite of what the Commander wanted you to do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was told to make sure you would be alright. If this is what it takes…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright then…” Zhang said, taking Geist’s shoulder, mirroring him and giving him a rare smile. “Let’s be monsters. Together.”</span>
</p>
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